Sonnet 73 Summary
In this poem the speaker invokes a series of metaphors to characterize the nature of what he perceives to be his old age. In the first quatrain he tells the beloved that his age is like a “time of year”, late autumn, when the leaves have completely fallen from the trees, and the weather has grown cold, and the birds have left their branches. In the second quatrain, he then says his age is like late twilight, “As after sunset fadeth in the west”, and the remaining light is slowly extinguished in the darkness, which the speaker likens to “death’s second self”.
In the third quatrain, the speaker compares himself to the glowing remnants of a fire, which lies “on the ashes of his youth” — that is, on the ashes of the logs that once enabled it to burn — and which will soon be consumed “by that which it was nourished by” — that is, it will be extinguished as it sinks into the ashes, which its own burning created. In the couplet the speaker tells the young man that he must perceive these things, and that his love must be strengthened by the knowledge that he will soon be parted from the speaker when the speaker, like the fire, is extinguished by time.
Sonnet 73 line by line explanation in simple words
- Lines 1-2:
That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few do hang
You may see in me the autumn of my life, like the time when yellow leaves, or no leaves, or a few leaves still hang.
Page 7: Sonnet 73 (Lines 3-14 & Critical Analysis)
- Lines 3-4:
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
The leaves hang on branches, which shiver in anticipation of the cold; the branches are like empty, ruined church choirs, and sweet birds used to sing on the branches.
- Line 5-6:
In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night & You may see in me the twilight of my life like when the sunset has faded to darkness in the west.
- Lines 7-8:
Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.
Which before long is replaced by the black night, Death’s second self, which covers everyday and things in a deathly sleep.
- Lines 9-10:
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
You see in me the glowing of a fire that is burning atop the ashes of its earlier being (youth) who is burning…
- Lines 11-12:
As the death-bed whereon it must expire, Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by.
The ashes are now the death-bed upon which the fire will go out, consumed by the very thing it was nourished by before.
- Lines 13-14:
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
Because you see this, your love is made stronger, to love well that which you must soon leave.
Sonnet 73 themes
1. Aging and Old Age
The poem presents old age as a natural stage of life. The speaker recognizes that his youth has passed and that he is nearing the end of his life.
2. Mortality and Death
Death is an unavoidable reality throughout the sonnet. Each metaphor points toward an ending:
- Autumn leads to winter.
- Twilight leads to night.
- Fire eventually burns out.
3. Love Strengthened by Time
The concluding couplet contains the poem’s main message:
Awareness of impending loss deepens affection.
The beloved loves the speaker more intensely because he knows their time together is limited.
4. The Passage of Time
Time acts as an invisible force that changes everything. Youth fades, beauty declines, and life moves steadily toward death.
Structure and Form
Shakespearean Sonnet
Sonnet 73 follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form:
- 14 lines
- Three quatrains
- One concluding couplet
- Written in iambic pentameter
Rhyme Scheme
ABABCDCDEFEFGG
The final couplet provides the poem’s resolution and central insight.
Major Images and Symbols
Autumn
The nearly bare tree symbolizes old age and the loss of youthful vitality.
Twilight
Twilight represents the final stage of life before the darkness of death.
Dying Fire
The fire symbolizes life itself. As the flames diminish, they suggest the speaker’s remaining life force.
Sonnet 73 literary devices
Metaphor
The entire poem is built upon extended metaphors comparing the speaker to:
- A tree in late autumn
- The evening sky
- A dying fire
Imagery
The poem contains powerful visual imagery that helps readers picture decline and transience.
Symbolism
- Autumn = old age
- Night = death
- Fire = life and energy
Personification
Death and time are treated as active forces influencing human life.
Tone and Mood
Tone
- Reflective
- Melancholic
- Philosophical
- Tender
Mood
The poem creates a mood of gentle sadness, yet it ultimately ends with hope and emotional warmth through the affirmation of love.
Sonnet 73 critical analysis
Sonnet 73 is almost as exemplary as sonnet 60 in expressing the theme of the ravages of time. The sonnet focuses on the narrator’s own anxiety over growing old, and like sonnet 60, each quatrain of sonnet 73 takes up the theme in a unique way, comparing the narrator’s “time of year” (stage of life) with various examples of the passing of time in nature. The metaphors shorten in duration from months to hours to what may be minutes, the acceleration itself a metaphor for the increasingly rapid rate at which old age begins to take its toll on the human body.
In the first quatrain, the narrator compares himself to the late autumn season, that time of year when the trees have begun to lose their leaves, and the cold is setting in. Some scholars suggest that the metaphor was deliberately chosen for its imagery of barrenness where there once was growth, a possible allusion to Shakespeare’s incipient baldness. Quatrain two makes life still stronger shorter, going from the seasons of the year to the hours of the day. The narrator is at twilight of his life: his sun has set; death is soon upon him.
But even so the emptiness of death is not so fully established until quatrain three, where it is finally understood by the narrator as something permanent. Whereas the changing of the seasons and passing of the day and night occur in presumably infinite cycles, a fire is not reborn from its ashes, and its extinguishment means the end. Time is the enemy; Time is death. The passing of time is the creator and destroyer of time.
With that said, the closing couplet of sonnet 73 is like an admonition: one’s love should grow stronger as one’s time left to love is running out. It is not entirely clear whether this line is addressed specifically to the fair lord or in fact to himself, or perhaps even to both, since the narrator’s approaching death will mean that each must bid the other farewell. In any case, the narrator is clearly distressed by his inevitable fate: old age, death, and eternal separation from the fair lord.
A great number of parallels can be drawn between the imagery of sonnet 73 and that of the other sonnets, which makes this an interesting example of the consistency of Shakespeare’s symbolism and figurative language. The passing of the seasons was encountered in sonnet 18 (“And summer’s lease hath all too short a date”). We also saw the sun as a metaphor for human life in sonnet 60, although there we followed its development from birth to maturity whereas in quatrain two it has already begun to die. Finally, the image in the third quatrain of a fire being “Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by” reminds us of a line from sonnet 1: “Feeds thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel.” Note the two instances of color symbolism in sonnet 73, also with referents in other sonnets: yellow is used in sonnet 17 and 104 as the color of age or passing time, which while black is used repeatedly throughout the sonnets to symbolize the “Other” that which is sinful or dreaded.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Sonnet 73
1. Who wrote Sonnet 73?
Sonnet 73 was written by William Shakespeare and was published in 1609 as part of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
2. What is the main theme of Sonnet 73?
The main themes of Sonnet 73 are aging, mortality, the passage of time, and the strengthening power of love.
3. What is Sonnet 73 about?
The poem is about an aging speaker who reflects on his approaching death and explains how the awareness of life’s brevity makes love more precious and meaningful.
4. What type of poem is Sonnet 73?
Sonnet 73 is a Shakespearean (English) sonnet consisting of 14 lines divided into three quatrains and a concluding couplet.
5. What is the rhyme scheme of Sonnet 73?
The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
6. What are the three main metaphors in Sonnet 73?
The speaker compares himself to:
- A tree in late autumn with few leaves remaining
- The fading twilight before night
- A dying fire burning on its ashes
7. What does the autumn imagery symbolize?
The autumn imagery symbolizes old age, decline, and the nearing end of life.
8. What does “twilight” represent in the poem?
Twilight represents the final stage of life before death, just as evening comes before night.
9. What does the dying fire symbolize?
The dying fire symbolizes the speaker’s remaining life force, which is gradually fading away.
10. How does Sonnet 73 portray love?
The poem suggests that love becomes stronger when people realize that time is limited and that separation or death is inevitable.
11. What is the tone of Sonnet 73?
The tone is reflective, melancholic, thoughtful, and affectionate.
12. What is the mood of Sonnet 73?
The mood is one of gentle sadness and contemplation, balanced by a sense of love and emotional warmth.
13. What literary devices are used in Sonnet 73?
Some important literary devices include:
- Metaphor
- Imagery
- Symbolism
- Personification
- Alliteration
- Repetition
14. What is the significance of the final couplet?
The final couplet reveals the poem’s central message: awareness of impending loss makes love stronger and more cherished.
15. Why is Sonnet 73 important in English literature?
Sonnet 73 is admired for its powerful treatment of aging and mortality and for its insight that love gains value through the recognition of life’s transience.
16. Is Sonnet 73 an autobiographical poem?
There is no evidence that the poem is directly autobiographical. It is generally interpreted as a poetic meditation on aging and mortality.
17. What is the central message of Sonnet 73?
The central message is that the awareness of life’s fleeting nature deepens human love and appreciation for others.
18. Why is Sonnet 73 still relevant today?
The poem remains relevant because it deals with universal experiences such as aging, death, love, and the passage of time—subjects that continue to resonate with readers across generations.